A man rests by a lantern during Luminaria 2012 in Hemisfair Park on Saturday, May 5, 2012.

A man rests by a lantern during Luminaria 2012 in Hemisfair Park on Saturday, May 5, 2012.

Photo: BILLY CALZADA, San Antonio Express-News

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Chinese lanterns light up the sky during the closing ceremonies for Luminaria 2012 in Hemisfair Park on Saturday, May 5, 2012.

Chinese lanterns light up the sky during the closing ceremonies for Luminaria 2012 in Hemisfair Park on Saturday, May 5, 2012.

Photo: BILLY CALZADA, Billy Calzada / Express-News

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Luminaria turns to streets

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Luminaria, the annual free downtown arts blowout, might be heading back into the streets this year.

“In our vision, we have Alamo Street closed all the way from César Chávez over to Market,” said artistic director Richard Rosen.

Street closures have not been part of the event for the past few years, mostly because it's so pricey. Closing Alamo this year would cost about $27,000, Rosen said. If they can make that work within the event's $525,000 budget, they will.

“We are not planning to go to the city for more money,” Rosen said.

The 6-year-old arts celebration, slated for March 9, is funded partly with city money and partly through corporate donations.

This is the first year that the public will have an opportunity to chip in, as well, via the Internet, on luminariasa.org.

“Everyone can be a part of this,” said Kathy Armstrong, associate artistic director.

Partly because the street closures issue hasn't been settled, the complete footprint hasn't been finalized. Whatever happens on that score, the heart of the event will once again be HemisFair Park, though it won't go back quite as far as it did last year. The Institute of Texan Cultures will not be included, Rosen said, though it will be open to the public that night.

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The footprint also will include a quiet stretch of the River Walk near the Convention Center.

This year, there also will be some “fringe” projects beyond the event's borders, increasing the event's reach farther into the city, said Mellissa Marlowe, associate artistic director.

“It's an opportunity to produce something edgier,” Rosen said.

Completing the boundaries is the next big part of the event to be signed off on. One of the first was the selection of this year's artists.

The Luminaria steering committee, composed of artists and arts administrators working in a variety of disciplines, made the selections. They reviewed 183 proposals from artists in San Antonio and across the country; 91 made the final cut.

Those include a large-scale glass installation by visual artist Cathy Cunningham; a massive theater piece from Rick Stemm that will involve six playwrights and will range throughout the event; a collaboration between ARTheism, a dance/visual arts partnership, and digital violinist Dixon's Violin; a vehicle created for Luminaria by Art Cars of Houston; and an installation by artist Michelle Graves blending light, breath and text.

Other artists commissioned to create work for the event are Meow Wolf, Whoop de Doo, Mark Menjivar, Sasha Zeilig, Pop Pistol and Kia Neil.

Another detail that is being worked out is a rain plan. Last year, Luminaria's original date was rained out, forcing organizers to move it to May.